Oilheat has always been the efficiency leader. Heating efficiency is the amount of usable heat extracted from the potential energy of the fuel. If a heating system is 85% efficient, 85 cents of every dollar you spend goes to heat your home and hot water.Efficiencies of new oil equipment range from 83% to 95%. Efficiencies for gas ranges from 78% to 95%. Electric resistance heat and electric water heaters are between 27% and 31%, air-to-air heat pumps between 51% and 62%, and geothermal (ground source) heat pumps between 76% and 82% efficient.
Oilheat is Clean Heat
When properly adjusted and maintained, Oilheat systems create no observable soot, dirt, or odors in the home. They release almost no smoke or combustion residue up the chimney.
Emissions from residential gas, propane, and oil burners are all at about the same low level.
While electric heat at the point of use in the home has no emissions, the power plant creating the electricity may give off 10 times more particulate matter (smoke and soot), depending on the fuel used to power the generator.
Heating Oil Supply is Reliable and Secure
Oil companies shop for crude oil, the raw material used to make heating oil, all over the world. There are over 36 oil-producing countries. We are not dependent upon any one country or region for our supply. We enjoy an over-abundance of crude oil, and world oil reserves will last for a long time.
Despite wars, embargoes, political unrest, and natural disasters, Oilheat suppliers have always kept their customers warm.
The future looks bright as well. Technological advances are slashing the cost of finding, producing, and refining oil. The average cost per barrel for finding and producing oil has dropped about 60% in real terms over the past ten years, while proven reserves are about 60% higher than they were in 1985.
Oilheat Has Little Impact on the Environment
The environmental impact from using home heating oil is minimal — much lower than the alternatives, especially electric heat and wood. The air pollution emissions from oil burners are insignificant, and oil storage tanks do not present a threat to the environment because heating oil is not toxic, contains no carcinogens and is biodegradable.Oilheat Manufacturers Association has calculated the costs to society of using the various fuels. They include such things as the impact of air pollution, crop failures, and the impact on fishing grounds. When all factors are considered, low-sulfur Oilheat comes out as the least damaging heating source available.
It is 1% better than natural gas or propane. Oilheat is 136% better for the environment than geothermal heat pumps, and 208% better than air-to-air heat pumps. It is 516% better than electric resistance heat and electric water heaters, and Oilheat is an amazing 2,437% better for the environment than wood heat! By converting from electricity to oilheat, you can reduce emissions by 12 tons, per home, per year! By converting an electric water heater to oil, you will save 2 tons per year!
